


Declared War

by mylatestobssession



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Bickering, M/M, relationship is tested, tensions run high, they are stubborn, they need their heads banging together, who ends up on the sofa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2016-12-19
Packaged: 2018-09-09 21:42:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8913874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mylatestobssession/pseuds/mylatestobssession
Summary: There are just somethings you should never do.





	

This sofa was too small for him. Robert curled up as much as he could, in the restricted space he had. It was freezing down here, the heating had long been switched off. He couldn't sleep. He missed their bed. He missed curling up to Aaron who was like a human heater. The moonlight was seeping through the curtains but Robert was to lazy to get and move them to cover it. Instead he turned over so he was facing the back of the sofa. He had just started to feel sleepy enough that he was able to sleep when he got the desperate urge to pee. Typical. He reluctantly got up and discarded the thin blanket he had and headed upstairs to the bathroom. On the way back down he paused outside his and Aaron's room and quietly opened the door to check on the younger man. Aaron was laid on the bed fast asleep, spread out like a starfish. Robert loved to watch him sleep, in a non creepy way. It was one of the rare times that Aaron's face completely relaxed, it was of the few times the man looked at peace. Quietly closing the door, Robert headed back downstairs. He knew he wouldn't sleep now. He plunked himself back onto the sofa and re wrapped himself in the blanket and switched the tv on. He was glad he had managed to convince Chas and Aaron to let him get smart tv. After he quickly checked to see if sky had anything decent on, there never was, he switched to Netflix and put on doctor who to watch. As he settled in to what would be a long night, he started to reflect on what had led him to the night on the sofa. 

 

_FUCKING MONOPOLY ___

__

__Let's play a board game he said. It would be fun he said. What a liar. Why the ridiculous game was ever invented Robert had no idea. It was as if some one had thought that families didn't fight enough. Lets give them the most frustrating game in the world and watch the family feuds begin. The game had started innocently enough. Everyone else had gone out visiting various village members. He and Aaron had decided to stay behind both of them feeling a little delicate after the night out the previous night. After Aaron had gotten bored of laying around doing nothing, he had, stupidly, suggested that they play monopoly._ _

__"Are you sure our relationship will survive this game." Robert joked. Aaron rolled his eyes. "I think we are going to be fine, stop being dramatic."_ _

__The game had started easily enough, only a minor bickering over the little player they wanted to be. Both wanted to be the car. Robert begrudgingly changed to the dog. Giving his trademark pout as he did so. Aaron ignored him while failing to hide the smirk growing. That should have been their warning sign._ _

__It wasn't until Robert ended up in jail for the third time that things started to get out of hand._ _

__"oh for fucks sake again!" he complained throwing his hands up in frustration._ _

__"Calm down, it's just a game."_ _

__"Says the man who owns four hotels each on the two most expensive property's on the damn board. The minute I land on either one of them I go bankrupt." he stormed. A part of him was being stupid, Aaron was right it's just a game. But he would never admit this to Aaron. He was in a bad enough mood that he was getting petty. He hated losing._ _

__"Someone is a sore loser."_ _

__"I haven't lost yet!"_ _

__"Alright." Aaron stops trying to tease him, knowing it was best to leave him when he got a grump on. It took a further five rolls of the dice before Robert is finally freed from jail. During that time Aaron had got all of the remaining properties left on the board. Robert wanted to stop playing it wasn't like there was much point they both knew who was going to win. Said pending winner was trying to not look smug as he watched Robert steel himself to continue the game. It was as he rolled the dice that Aaron's phone began to ring. Aaron moved across the board to reach his phone on the other side. The dice connected with Aaron's hand that had been placed on the board to steady himself._ _

__"Aaron!"_ _

__"What it's not like I did it on purpose."_ _

__"It landed on a four!" A four would take him straight to park lane. He couldn't afford to land there._ _

__"Roll again then, I don't mind." and so he did but it landed on a six._ _

__"Fuck!"_ _

__"Off to Mayfair it is."_ _

__"You cheated!"_ _

__"How!"_ _

__Robert stays silent. He is wondering how childish he is willing to go._ _

__"Let me roll again."_ _

__"No"_ _

__"Why not!"_ _

__"I let you re-roll because I got in the way of it. It isn't my fault you landed a number you didn't want!"_ _

__"What's the harm in letting me roll again?"_ _

__"Because 'Mr you cheated' that would be cheating."_ _

__"Now who is getting mad, it's just a game Aaron."_ _

__"Your being ridiculous, that's why!"_ _

__"I am not. Your the one who wanted to play this ridiculous game."_ _

__"If I had known it would have turned you into a whining five year old I wouldn't have bothered."_ _

__"Fine lets stop playing the game."_ _

__"No"_ _

__"What do you mean no."_ _

__"I know what you're doing and you are not getting out of finishing the game."_ _

__The both stared each other with narrowed eyes. Both knew they were being stubborn. Both knew they were being ridiculous. Above all else the stubbornness always won._ _

__"Fine!" surrendered Robert. He moved the dog to Mayfair and picked up all his cash and dropped it over Aaron's head._ _

__"You win, Mr Dingle." He stood up and went to grab a drink. The silence in the room was tense. They both knew they were on the edge of a petty argument and yet neither seemed to be able to stop themselves._ _

__"Well done, Robert. I think you just outdid yourself for childish behaviour. Shall I go and call up Laurel, Marlon and Paddy to see if they can bring over Leo, April and Arthur. They seem to be more your age than I do."_ _

__Robert could feel his jaw clenching in the effort to not retort. He wouldn't give Aaron the satisfaction. He moved to start picking up the monopoly money hoping it would be a metaphorical white flag for the pair. He had been cleaning for a minute or so before he heard Aaron's deep sign before he joined him to clean up._ _

__They spent the next hour in silence that was half comfortable half tense. Aaron got tired of the silence first and went to turn the tv on. Predictably he picked the sports. Within five minutes he was yelling at the screen. Great thought Robert just what he wanted for the next hour that football was on. He got up to grab his game of thrones book and settled back on the sofa to read._ _

___15 minutes later ____ _

____"Fucking cheating -" raged Aaron. "Hey what are you doing!" Robert had turned the telly off._ _ _ _

____"I'm not listening to you swearing at the tv for the next 45 minutes, Aaron. It may have escaped your notice but unlike them I can actually hear you."_ _ _ _

____"If you want to read in peace, go upstairs we have a perfectly good, _quiet _bedroom upstairs."___ _ _ _

______"Yes and we also have a perfectly good tv upstairs."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Well it's my house!"_ _ _ _ _ _

______Robert's mouth opened in shock. He swallowed before quietly replying. "It's my house too."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Aaron turns to Robert. He can tell from the older mans face how hurt he was by the comment._ _ _ _ _ _

______"I'm sorry that was too far."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Robert didn't speak. Too caught between anger and hurt. Aaron offered him a hug which despite his less than favourable mood to his fiance he leaned into regardless._ _ _ _ _ _

______"I think I'm going to pop and see Vic." he said breaking the hug._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Robert, you don't have to leave."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"I know but I think for both our sanitises we need a break." he said with a gentle smile. "Besides she has been on my back about organising the wedding so I should go and sweeten her up for catering."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Aaron nodded and let Robert leave turning his attention back to the football and blocked everything else out._ _ _ _ _ _

______Robert returned just as the takeaway arrived. Liv had come back from Gabby's. As they settled down to eat, she spoke non-stop about her day. Allowing the two men to eat in peace and avoid any potential awkward question from Liv who if she actually paid attention would pick up on the tension. It was all going well until mentioned that she had seen monopoly out._ _ _ _ _ _

______"So who won that."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Aaron." said Robert, his tone a little sharp. Unfortunately Liv was so busy high-fiving Aaron she missed it. Robert lasted two minutes before breaking out in frustration over the game. After five minutes Aaron had had enough._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Right that's it, you are sleeping on the sofa."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"What!"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"You heard me. Let it go Robert it is just a game!."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Yeah one we are never playing again." he muttered as Aaron came in with the spare blanket and pillow and dropped them on the sofa before slamming the door on the way to his room._ _ _ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> It is a very dangerous game people.
> 
> It was inspired by a comment I saw on tumblr.


End file.
